


How The Potter Kids Got Their Weird Names

by Enele



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Post-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 14:39:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4839197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enele/pseuds/Enele
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somehow I am a fool and couldn't convince myself that Ginny – the girl who canonly named an owl Pigwidgeon! – appreciated her children's names. This is my explanation – because, let's be honest, the only reason for a decent mother to have a child named after Severus Snape is that she had been unconscious during the decision. Even book!Ginny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How The Potter Kids Got Their Weird Names

When Ginny was in labour the first time, they were kind of surprised how fast everything happened. Too fast. They couldn't believe that the nine months were over. They still had to organise some remaining moves. So on the way to St Mungo's, Harry and Ginny shifted between organizing things and worrying about, well, everything.

When the St Mungo's midwife asked Ginny if she wanted any painkillers, she told her that she would manage the pain. Seriously, she knew pain and she knew she would make it. She had already survived much torture in her short lifetime, physically and emotionally – there were several attacks by Voldemort, several broken ribs by Quidditch players and (although she hated to admit it) a broken heart by Harry when he left to hide from Voldemort. If anyone was be prepared for agony, it would be her.

But she wasn't. She wasn't prepared for the labour-pain. When she finally told the midwife she would _do_ like to take the painkillers, it was already to late.

But then, as she held her son in her arms – the most beautiful creature in the whole wide world, to be honest –, she felt something way better than flying on a broom stick. Exhausted, she fell asleep.

She woke after five hours. Harry sat on a chair next to her bed and it seemed like he had been sleeping as well. He satisfied watched her. Their son was nowhere to be seen. Ginny's mouth was dry, and she tried to speak: “Where's –?”

“Don't worry”, Harry said softly. “They just do the last tests on him. I think they'll be back any minute though.” Then Harry smiled. “He's awesome.”

Ginny let go a small laugh. She wasn't really relaxed when her baby, with whom she shared a common body for months, was away. But release wasn't far away because Harry was right: A nurse came in, carrying their son. Ginny sat up, stretched her arms towards him and the nurse lay the baby in her arms. “Here you have your little James, Mrs. Potter. He's such a beautiful one. The doctor said everything is fine, so if you want, you can leave. Just take your time and call me when you're ready to go home.” And she left.

Ginny didn't really bother with the nurse, the only thing she was able to do was looking at her son. He was so tiny with these little fingers and he just was _so_ beautiful. He reminded her a lot of Harry. She doubted she would ever get enough of him. Then she froze.

“Harry … what did she just say? Did she call him James?”

Harry took a breath and seemed to flutter. “I-, eh, I panicked … I guess?!”

Suspecting something, Ginny looked up. Harry's eyes were large and Ginny narrowed hers. “Harry Potter, what did you do?”

“Ehm … there was some guy from the ministry who was totally done with everything and he said he already documented the death of three people today _and_ three births and he just wanted to know the name so that he could issue a birth certificate and go home”, Harry said fast.

“Oh god”, Ginny moaned and put her son into his bed.

“And I told him to come back and he was so annoyed of everything when he was here again and he said he needed to do it _now_ and we haven't even talked about names yet, so I just told him the first ones which came into my mind and I thought you would like them, too, because they have a meaning and …”

Ginny took a deep breath and crossed her arms. Harry was looking at her with huge, sparkling eyes, and his hair was all messy and she thought that it probably couldn't be too bad. “So, what's our son called then?”

Harry hesitated, but then his eyes beamed. Solemnly he announced: “James Sirius Potter.”

Ginny looked at Harry as if she was about to cast a Bat-Bogey Hex. After a few seconds of silence she said: “For real?”

Harry nodded. “Look, Ginny, I know it was a knee-jerk reaction but they were quite important to me and I really would like to honour them ...”

“I see, Harry, I see”, Ginny muttered. He totally got a big part of her heart with that repenting attitude. “I mean, the names _do_ sound nice and it's a good idea. But – _a_ _re you serious!?_ ”

At this, Harry grinned mischievously and pointed at their son. “No, _he's_ Sirius.”

Ginny let go a mixture of laugh and cry. “You totally named him on purpose for this joke, right?”

“Sure”, Harry said impishly.

“Oh god, and I _married_ _you!”_ , Ginny cried out and jumped from her bed to pack her things.

 

Two years later, when she was in labour again, Ginny thought she definitively needed painkillers. Not only because of the pain, but mainly to stay awake and to prevent her husband from giving their second child a pre-stressed name as well. After James' birth, they had been talking about names – because Harry wouldn't stop saying sorry for making the decision without her. Ginny reassured him that she liked the honouring part but she was damn sure she wouldn't want her next child to be called Gideon Fabian. She couldn't allow her brother to ruin everything like he did with Pigwidgeon. James wasn't really made for nicknames but who knew what Ron would make out of Gideon! Giddy? That would be ridiculous.

This time, a midwife in training offered her a painkilling potion. Ginny took it because Hermione said it was save and effective. The birth actually went much more better than the first one and when she held her second son in her arms, she wondered how the world suddenly could have got so beautiful. She didn't think she was able to feel so much love and devotion at the same time.

But that was over soon. The midwife in training had given her too much painkilling potion. Ginny was passed out until the next morning and when she finally woke up, an agitated Harry sat on her bed.

“Oh Merlin, you're finally awake!”, he said and hugged her tightly. “They said you would wake up in the morning eventually but I was really worried nonetheless!”

“Mmmmh ...”, Ginny dozily made, enjoying the feeling of Harry being close to her. When he stopped hugging her, Ginny stretched her body. “Oh! I have a little headache … anyway, how are the boys?”

“James is with your parents and Alb-, I mean, the baby, he is sleeping, look, right there”, Harry said quickly, pointing at the baby bed.

But Ginny had noticed his slip of the tongue. She narrowed her eyes and looked at her husband condemning. “Harry, what have you done?”

When she saw his reaction, she covered her face with her hands. “Oh, no”, she muttered. “That ministry guy again?”

Quietly, Harry said “Yes”.

“Annoyed again?”

“Yes.”

“Under time pressure again?”

“Yes.”

She took her hands away, took a deep breath and questioningly looked at Harry.

He bit on his lips. “Albus Severus.”

Ginny was flabbergasted. _“Albus Severus?”_ , she shouted. _“Severus_ _SNAPE_ _?!”_

Harry looked a bit annoyed. “Ginny, he saved my life.”

“I know but –! I know, I know, but my son is wearing the name of one of my least favourite teachers _ever!_ ”

“Well, he was one of the bravest men I ever knew.”

Ginny stopped, looking kinda irritated. She watched Harry's firm expression and decided to drop it. She couldn't change it anyway. What's done is done.

She sighed deeply. “You can be lucky you're my husband, otherwise I'd probably hex you.”

“I know”, Harry said quietly and looked out of the window.

“It's fine, Harry”, Ginny said softly and stroke his lower arm.

Harry smiled, bowed down and kissed her. “I owe you something.”

“Mmmh-hmmm”, Ginny made. But her attention quickly changed from her husband to her new-born. “Just give me my damn son already, I need to look at Al.”

Ginny never really called him Albus.

 

During her third pregnancy, everything was supposed to go according to Ginny's plans. As soon as she told Harry that she was pregnant again, they had long talks in the evenings, about names and remembering and honouring and pre-stress. When Ginny lay in the St Mungo's, ready to deliver, Harry held her hand and in a moment of common consensus, they both looked at each other.

“Rubeus Remus Potter?”, Ginny asked.

“Rubeus Remus Potter”, Harry answered.

After a long smile she threw Harry out of the labour room. If there was one thing she had learned by now, it probably was that she couldn't stand her husband being in the same room with her while she gave birth.

It was a girl. They let Harry into the room and he was just as surprised as Ginny.

“Look”, Ginny said softly, watching the tiny creature in her arms. “She has a little bid of red hair.”

“She looks like you”, Harry said dorky. Ginny just rolled her eyes.

Ginny suddenly felt completely filled up with joy. They had a girl. They had never talked about girl's names. Never. They just didn't expect a girl. And now, she had two beautiful boys and a dorky husband at home and now they had a girl. A baby girl.

“I guess we have to reconsider our naming choices then”, Harry said. “How about Rubina Remia?”

She shot a look at her husband and they both laughed. Ginny already noticed how the felicity and developments overwhelmed her and drew her into sleep. She was able to mutter a “later” and dozed off.

She woke in an empty sickroom. Slowly, the memories came back to her and her heart grew big again. She heart noise on the corridor, familiar pattern of feet and a “Hey! Stop running!”. As the door opened, she had already sit up, opened her arms and grinningly looked at her boys. And her girl, there, in Harry's arms.

“Mummy!”, James shouted and jumped on her bed. “She has red hair!”

“Yes!”, Ginny said excited. “You like it?”

“Nah … well, maybe, if she gets more and looks like you!”

Al climbed on the other side of the bed and cuddled into her side.

“We just changed nappies”, Harry explained.

“What do you think of her, Al?”, Ginny asked.

“She's tiny.”

Harry and Ginny laughed.

“You were tiny as well”, James said knowingly, which gave Al thinking.

Ginny looked at Harry. Hesat down next to her feet, proudly holding the baby and Ginny thought they could stay exactly like this for a very long time. She let a moment pass before she allowed herself to mention this thing.

“So …”, Ginny made.

Harry knew what she was aiming for and cleared his throat. “Yeah.” Ginny was surprised how many things resonated in that little utterance – confession,awareness, love, respect, happiness – andshe knew everything she needed to know. Interestingly, she didn't even bother about the name any more, or the circumstances which caused it.

“What's her name?”, Ginny asked quietly.

“Lily!”, Al shouted.

“Lily _Luna!_ ”, James corrected him.

“Wow”, Ginny made. Harry looked expectant at her. She tried to speak. “That's … that's surprisingly nice. Beautiful even.”

Harry grinned from ear to ear. Then he sheepishly looked at the bed cloth. “I mean … I just had to.”

“Yeah”, Ginny said, still astonished. “I completely understand. They fit pretty well.”

“It's a pattern, mum!”, James cried, squeezing her cheek, demanding her attention.

“Why? Because everyone's named after someone?”

James looked at her with huge eyes. “No, because everyone has _two names!_ Dad's Harry James Potter, you're Ginny Molly Potter, I'm James Sirius Potter, Al is Albus Severus Potter and the baby is Lily Luna Potter!”

“Well done, James”, Harry praised.

While Ginny pressed wet kisses on James' and Al's hair, a small part of her brain wondered how the hell these names could have happened.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a lot for reading! If you want, you can reblog the fanfiction from my tumblr (http://littlewhitesnowowl.tumblr.com/post/129513558323). I'd love to hear what you think because I'm kinda excited. ^^ Have a nice day! ;)
> 
> EDIT (24/09/2015): Now that JKR published more info on the Potter family on Pottermore, I guess I'd withdraw my charges and rather say that giving weird names runs in the family. Harry and Ginny simply remained faithful to traditions, Harry can't really be accused for it. Yeah. Somehow. Eh, I don't know. Nothing makes sense anymore.


End file.
